Steve’s “Special Pancakes”

My husband does not how to cook. In fact, aside from eggs and toast he’s pretty much clueless in the kitchen but nonetheless, he was inspired one day to make us breakfast. Countless questions, a sink full of dishes, one big mess, and an empty box of pancake mix later and he served me what he called his, “special pancakes“. The “special” in the “special pancakes” was because he decided to add his own little touch to them by sprinkling each one with cinnamon and sugar and cooking them on the griddle with loads of melted butter. Bold and innovative, right? lol Although they were just box mix pancakes he did a good job!! I won’t lie, the cinnamon and sugar ended up being a nice touch to the overall flavor! That breakfast was over 20 years ago, and the last time he’s ever attempted to “cook”, but whenever I make pancakes for us and the kids he always asks if I’ll be making HIS “special pancakes“.

Below is my version of Steve’s “Special Pancakes” but instead of a crummy box mix this is a from scratch recipe that yields delicious light and fluffy pancakes. The baking powder in the recipe really helps the pancake batter to rise nicely which results in a thick, fluffy pancake. Letting the batter rest for 10 minutes is important because it allows the baking powder to do its job. Skipping this step will result in the batter being very thin and watery and the pancakes will not be as good.

For the cinnamon and sugar sprinkle, you can use a pre-made cinnamon sugar mix or you can make your own by combining 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 tbs cinnamon. Mix well and store any leftovers in a small jar.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tbs granulated sugar

1 tsp Kosher salt

2 tbs baking powder

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, slightly cooled

1 3/4 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla

cinnamon and sugar sprinkle, to taste

Instructions

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Combine the eggs, vanilla, and milk together in a medium bowl or large measuring cup.

Slowly add in the cooled melted butter and stir to combine.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Allow the batter to sit for 10 minutes, it should rise and bubble slightly. When the batter is ready to use it will be light and airy.

Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter onto a hot griddle coated in melted butter. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mix. Once the pancake begins to bubble, flip and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

**Tip** – Make a double batch, allow the pancakes to cook on wire racks, and then freeze. They will keep for months and you’ll always have fresh, homemade pancakes on hand for breakfast.